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COME!

Welcome to the 2014 Hyde Park Homes Tour, "A Ride Through Hyde Park." This year, for the first time, the tour focuses entirely on houses north of 45th Street.

Hyde Park has long been a community proud of its history and its architecture, but in our celebration of the colorful characters of Col. Monroe Shipe and Elisabet Ney, we've passed over some of the equally interesting folks who founded the communities and built the houses in the north part of our neighborhood.

"A Ride Through Hyde Park" displays six homes that illustrate the lesson that loving attention yields beautiful results: a Victorian built around 1900 was twice saved from demolition, a tiny circa 1942 bungalow was expanded rather than demolished by its architect owner, two bungalows reflect their owners' creativity and world travels, a rare brick 1919 Arts and Crafts house was restored and zoned a City of Austin Historic Landmark, and a two-owner 1925 board-and-batten cottage was brought back to its historical exterior style.

Another "first" this year is our encouragement to follow the route astride a bicycle. What could be a better way to enjoy Autumn in Austin? And what could be a better way to go backwards to the time when these houses were built. an era when cars were less common and bicycles more so?

See the houses, read the historical information in the booklet. and learn about this beautiful part of Hyde Park, Austin, Texas.

Kevin Heyburn Lorre Weidlich Hyde Park Neighborhood Association Co-Presidents

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BICYCLES & BUSES Because this year's tour extends from Avenue D to Caswell and from 45th to 53rd Streets. we encourage visitors to embrace the theme "A Ride Through Hyde Park" by riding a bike. It's the best way to fully experience the beautiful neighborhood and the crisp fall weather. Anyone without a bike can rent one at the tour headquarters at Griffin School.

A complimentary bus will also circle the tour route.

Parking is available at the Griffin School and after 12 p.m. at Ridgetop Baptist Church. 708 E. 51st Street.

TOUR HEADQUARTERS: GRIFFIN SCHOOL

5001 Evans Avenue

The building today occupied by the Griffin School began life as Trinity Methodist Church on February 24, 1947. when church parishioners broke ground for its Educational Building, the first step in its building campaign.

The church itself was chartered on December 22. 1946, with 80 charter members under the leadership of Rev. J.C. Campbell. It was one of many new churches begun after the end of World War II. The congregation chose the name "Trinity" and began meeting in Ridgetop Elementary School. Church members themselves did the work of constructing the building and held their first service there in the community assembly room on April 20, 1947, while the building was still being completed. The building was valued at $15.000. Besides the assembly room. it had a nursery, kitchen. study and office for the pastor. and classrooms.

The church was officially consecrated to public worship by Rev. Campbell on Mother's Day in 1947. The church choir provided

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special music and the reverend chose as his sermon "Behold Thy Mother." By then the congregation had grown to 100 members.

After the Educational Building, the church grew steadily. It added another unit to its Educational Building under the leadership of Rev. C. Herman Murph, its second pastor. between June 1947 and May 1949, then added a brick sanctuary under Rev. Raymond Brink. its fifth pastor. in 1955. The sanctuary combined traditional and modern elements. Its outstanding feature was the trio of stained glass windows behind the altar. In 1968. the Austin American-Statesman wrote that Trinity had "the informal, friendly atmosphere of a country church in the city. It is known as 'a friendly church in the heart of Ridgetop."'

Trinity Methodist Church made news in 1992. when its membership voted to become a reconciling congregation. one that welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. While it lost some members as a result. it also grew to the point that. by 2010. it needed more room.

At the same time, changes were happening to two other Austin institutions. Hyde Park Methodist Church and Griffin School. Long­established Hyde Park Methodist Church was waning. Its congregation had declined and no longer required the amount of space provided by its building on Speedway. The opposite was true of Griffin School. It had been founded in 1996 by a group of people including 6

current director Adam Wilson as a college preparatory high school devoted to the arts. By 2010 it was thriving.

When Hyde Park Methodist Church vacated its location on Speedway, Trinity Methodist Church moved in. And when Trinity Methodist Church vacated its location at 50th Street and Evans Avenue. Griffin School moved in.

Today both Trinity Methodist Church and Griffin School are supportive and appreciated members of the Hyde Park community.

Trinity Methodist Church, March, 1954

ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD Hyde Park North of 45th Street

Hyde Park north and east of the Hyde Park Local Historic District consists of a series of historic subdivisions and additions: the Hyde Park Annex; Patterson Heights; the Hegman. Staehely, Mueller. and Theodora subdivisions; the Worley addition; Ramsey Place; and parts of the Highlands addition and Ridgetop Annex. Each. of course. has its own history. During your tour. you'll view houses in several ofthese areas.

In addition. this area includes four Historic Landmark houses. One of them. the Morrison-Smith house. is on the tour. You can bike. drive. or walk through the neighborhood to view the other three.

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STRICKLAND HOUSE 5311 Duval Street

The Strickland House might have been called. for example, the Jones-Strickland House. but the first fifty years of its history are a mystery. According to tradition. it was constructed circa 1900 in a neighborhood just north of the University of Texas campus. The known history of the house begins in 1952. when James Strickland. a U.T. security officer and his wife. Della. obtained permission to move it to a vacant lot at 5311 Duval Street. Several neighboring houses were relocated to the block about the same time.

The Strickland House is typical of prosperous middle class homes of its day in Austin. Likely its design came from an architectural pattern book or a designer employed by one of the Austin lumber yards, such as the Calcasieu or Becker Lumber companies. It draws stylistic inspiration from several sources: the basic cubical form and pyramidal roof suggests American Foursquare. while the Doric columns and porch hearken to the Colonial Revival. The bay window was likely a Victorian leftover. as are the scalloped rafter tails outside. The corner mantels with overmantels are transitional 8

too. displaying both Classical and Eastlake elements. Perhaps the most striking feature is the newel post; like the mantels it is very likely a lumber company stock item.

Three ground floor rooms -the entrance hall. the parlor and the dining room. with their eleven foot ceilings and the seven foot windows- flow together in a pleasing. light. and airy fashion. Pocket doors are found in the walls separating the parlor and dining room. These open spaces and the many windows aided in capturing any breeze that might be found. and front and rear verandahs ensured that at least one breezy place could be found to mitigate the Texas heat before air conditioning.

The Stricklands lived in the house only a decade or so. during which time a fire damaged the second floor and roof. City directories list other occupants in the 1960s and 70s. In 1979. Dolores Cecilia Bernal and her husband. accountant Luis Mojica. acquired the property and they are remembered as great characters by longterm neighbors. When contacted by the present owners for information about the history of the house. they passed on what they knew. And then Dolores' daughter Camille Rey asked. "And now would you like the paranormal history of the house?" Rey, a scientist-turned-angel reader. reported negative

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spirits in the house. which were cleansed by its recent renovation.

The Strickland House was in deteriorated condition when the present owners. Michiganders Toti and Kelly Larson. acquired the property in 2011 as a home for themselves and their two sons. Fortunately, they are experienced renovators and have been very respectful of the Strickland House. Much has been accomplished in their tenure. but. like other old house owners. they patiently await future projects, including

a kitchen renovation. Their furniture and artwork is an eclectic and sympathetic blend of old and new.

MCCOY HOUSE 4915 Avenue H

When the current owners of the house at 4915 Avenue H look at its original architectural blueprints. now in their possession. their first thought must be "What a bargain!" It was built at a cost of $2.500.

John and Florence McCoy built the house in 1925. when their part of Hyde Park was considered the outskirts of Austin. The roads were dirt and city services were limited; however. Austin was bustling and land was cheap. The McCoy house is a prime example of a transitional house for the middle class. With its board-and-batten construction and Calcasieu lumber. it exemplifies houses of its period. many of them currently under pressure of demolition and redevelopment.

Board-and-batten. a traditional style that originated in Norway and Sweden. is a vertical siding that combines wide boards that do not overlap and narrow strips, or battens. that are nailed over the spaces between the boards. Board-and-batten was adopted due to its superiority over log siding, which was more prone to deterioration from weather. It was also a perfect match for

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balloon framing, a popular construction style at the time.

Also typical of many houses of that period. the building supplies and lumber used for the McCoy house came from the Calcasieu Lumber Company, as documents passed from the original to the current owners establish. Calcasieu Lumber Company began as a lumberyard in 1883 and evolved into a major home center and furniture maker during its 117 year history. During Austin's residential building boom in the 1920s. Calcasieu supplied materials such as glass. paint. and roofing for the subdivisions surrounding Austin. including Hyde Park north of 45th Street. To finance homebuilding during that period. Calcasieu owners introduced a low-interest.

monthly installment plan for customers with lots. It employed builders. and it became a one­stop shop for all those creating new homes in Austin.

John McCoy, who was born in 1903. spent his working life in the facilities department at the University of Texas. Florence McCoy, born in 1896, worked as a nurse in her later life. They had four children.

Of their four children. a son. Bobby McCoy, achieved recognition as both an aerospace worker and a water and wastewater consultant. He began his career teaching

high school. but joined PanAm Aerospace, a contractor for NASA. He received an achievement award for his work on the first flight of the space shuttle. After retiring from PanAm, he owned a water and wastewater consulting business. In that role, he received several awards from the Texas Water Utilities Association including its Meritorious Service award, which honors service in protection of public health and the environment.

The current owners purchased the house in 1989 from Florence McCoy, so the house has had only two owners. The new owners immediately began work on the house exterior: they removed the asbestos shingles to uncover the original board-and-batten siding. They paid close attention to detail in order to preserve the exterior historical aspects of the house, including its original white color.

Inside the house, they removed a wall and vaulted the ceiling in the main room and remodeled the kitchen with new cabinets and counters. They retained the original long-leaf pine floors and all of the windows. The cheesecloth that once covered the ceilings was removed to show the original shiplap wood. They converted a former sleeping porch into the master bedroom. In 2009, they built a back addition with a bedroom and bathroom. The bathtub in the bathroom came from one of the owner's parents' house. Wall art and sculptures from local artists adorn the interior, along with family heirloom furniture and pictures.

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ABOUT TH£ N£16HBORHOOD The Hyde Park Annex

The next two houses on the tour are located in the Hyde Park Annex. bounded by Avenue Band 45th. 47th. and Duval Streets. Col. Monroe Shipe, founder of Hyde Park. platted the Hyde Park Annex in 1898.

In 1899. his advertisement for the Hyde Park Annex stated. "The prices range from $60 to $100 [per] lot. This you can pay for at the rate of 5 cents per day. or $1.50 per month. only the cost of a glass of beer each day. Two lots would cost less than one glass of whiskey each day."

This area includes a Historic Landmark. the Wells-LaRue House. Take the time to walk or bike to see it at 4524 Avenue F.

CRO\iHOUS£ 4507 Avenue D

It's hard to believe that just a few short years ago the home on the northeast corner of 45th Street and Avenue D sat vacant. Wild animals lived underneath the house. the yard was overgrown. and the home itself had fallen into disrepair. Fast forward to 2014 and 14

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see how quickly things can change. The home. inside and out. is now one of the true gems of Hyde Park.

But before examining the present. take a look back at the home's past.

The first resident of record is Ray Kennedy, who shared the house with his wife. Pauline, and daughter. Rita. Although the earliest record of their residence begins in 1939. the home might have been built as early as 1935. Well-known for his rum cake recipe. Ray sweetened life in Hyde Park through his work as a baker at Cuneo's Quality Baking at 4225 Guadalupe. He was also a deacon at Hyde Park Baptist Church. After living on Avenue D. the Kennedys lived on Caswell and then Avenue H.

Characteristic of a Craftsman bungalow. the Crow House is a simple. one-story, wood-frame house with a partially inset porch. After the Kennedys moved on from the home in 1941. 4507 Avenue D housed first a carpenter's family and then a machinist's family, until the home was purchased by Lloyd and Florence Fry in 1944. Although Lloyd Fry passed away in 1946. Florence maintained ownership of the home until1987.

Chad and Kori Crow bought the home in 2012. When they purchased it. the modern kitchen and bath had already been added, as had the screened-in patio. With a little landscape trimming and a minimalist approach to design. the couple

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created a serene space for outdoor living. They also repaired and refinished the original oak floors. and the master bath features the original claw foot tub.

Throughout the house are pieces of art gathered during the Craw's extensive travels throughout the world. Sand paintings from Burma. religious art from Eastern Europe, and a prayer wheel from Tibet are just a few of the pieces that make the Crow home unique.

The couple acquired several heirlooms from their families and beautifully restored them to furnish their home. A stunning example is the customized wine cabinet. an original ice-box that had been in Chad Craw's family for four generations. Specially trained by the International Sommelier Guild as online purveyors of wine. the couple elegantly store their personal collection in this piece. Doing so evokes not only their own family heritage but also the original footprint of the house: the house's original galley kitchen. now used as a modern hallway, fittingly gives this ice chest-turned-wine cabinet its home.

The global and historical contents of this home combine to create an ambience of internationality, functionality, and nostalgia that complements and augments the interest created by the seventy­five year old structure itself. 16

Cuneo Rum Cake 4 C cake flour 1 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 4 C sugar 1 C shortening 3/4 C butter 6 eggs 1/2 tsp each lemon and orange extract 1 tsp vanilla extract 1Cmilk

1. Grease a 10" angel-food tube pan. Line the bottom with greased paper. 2. Sift together flour. baking powder. and salt. 3. Beat together sugar. but­ter. and shortening. Add 1 or 2 eggs at a time. beating

between additions. Beat 3 minutes. Add the extracts to the fluffy batter. 4. Mix in dry ingredients. alternating with milk. 5. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 11/2 hour. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Let rest outside the oven for 15 minutes. 6. Remove the cake from the pan: loosen the sides with a sharp knife. invert on a plate. re­move the pan center. Pour syrup over the cake.

Butter-Rum Syrup 1 C sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 C water 1 oz. corn syrup 2 T butter 2 tsp rum extract

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Heat until mix­ture thickens and bubbles. stirring constantly. After cooling slightly, add extract.

MAHL£R~VAN METRE HOUSE 4502 Avenue G

The date the Mahler-Van Metre house was constructed is unclear. but the first record of its occupancy was in 1942. During its first

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sixty years. the house housed an inspector in the US Department of Agriculture. a mechanic with the state Adjutant General, the manager of several paint companies. several employees with the Austin State Hospital. an administrative assistant with the University of Texas. a comptroller in the state Health Department. and a programmer with Dell. among others Some were owners. but the majority were renters.

It was purchased by its present owners in 2003. Little had been done to the house in the decades between its construction and its most recent sale.

Today, it looks very much like a Craftsman house. with its slanted, pointed roof and gables characteristic of Hyde Park homes built during the first 20 years of the 1900s. When the present owners bought it. it had. according to them. "good bones and a big lot." Fortunately. it still had its intrinsic character and original wood work. The current owners enjoy spending time outdoors. and most of their renovations have created more outdoor living space and transformed the home without destroying its essential character.

They created a green. energy-efficient. home. They replaced the front windows with wood-framed. double-hung, doubled-paned windows and repainted the interior. The old garage became a screened porch and outdoor kitchen. making it possible to cook

outside during the summer. The new concrete floor includes a mosaic of glass beads. The storage areas use antique Mexican doors and reclaimed garage siding.

The original house was a Salt Box with a roof that ended at the walls. leading to deterioration of the siding and window frames. The new roof is metal and has an 18" overhang. They extended the front porch by 6' and added a pitched roof to break the Salt Box look of the front. They replaced the original sun porch or utility room with a larger. sunnier room. The whole-house fan above the staircase floods the house with cool air. while sun tunnels bring light to the closet area. the small interior hallway. and the dining room. The angled corner on the north side accommodated a post oak that hung over the corner of the house. When the tree died in 2012. the angled corner on the south side was created to provide a balance.

Consistently, they used reclaimed material: for the floor. stairs. window seat. soffit. and closet and bath cupboard doors. reclaimed pine; for the under-stairway cupboard doors and the staircase wainscoting, wood from the original ceiling. Flooring for the master bedroom and bath was reclaimed from a neighborhood remodeler. Reclaimed cypress doors at the top of the stairs lead to the attic. Reclaimed stained glass windows let in light.

In 2012. they remodeled the downstairs bathroom. To fit the 19

Craftsman feel, they replaced the fiberglass tub and shower with a claw foot tub and added hexagonal tile. In 2014, they took on the kitchen. The new countertops are concrete with recycled glass and a bamboo peninsula. Virtually everything in the kitchen was recycled or repurposed through Craig's list.

Most of the plants on the grounds are native. The owners converted to a drought-resistant yard, friendly to bees. butterflies. and birds and conducive to playing petanque. a French version of bocce ball. The stone wall is built of reclaimed limestone from the foundation of a house demolished on Rainey Street. The picket fence was recycled from Craig's List. and a stonemason built the porch pillars. low stone walls, garden pillars. and front yard hardscape. The owners added the reclaimed metal wrought-iron fencing, and a metal artist in East Austin created the gate. They added the south fence to reduce the impact of 451h Street. Drip irrigation and harvested rainwater complete the xeriscaping.

ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD J.J. Hegman Subdivision & the Hegman House

Jay J. Hegman was born in Galveston in 1883. The 1910 Census lists a John J. Hegman. his wife Mary, and two children, Elmo and Theresa, as living in Dallas County; however, other records refer to Jay J. Hegman and his wife Elizabeth Marie Hegman.

Jay J. Hegman was a pioneer in the theatre business. He came to Austin in 1915 and opened the Queen Theatre in downtown Austin, believed to be the first theatre in Austin devoted to showing motion pictures. He eventually sold his interest in the Queen Theatre and returned to his birthplace, Galveston, to run the Grand Opera House there. Official records conflict about when he returned to Austin: 1929. according to his obituary, but as early as 1924. according to the Austin City Directory. The directory indicates that in 1927 he had a real estate business on Congress Avenue and his wife Elizabeth was proprietor of the Star and Crescent Theatres. He opened the Ritz Theatre on E. 6th Street in 1929. He died in 1953 at the age of 69.

He purchased and subdivided what became the Hegman Subdivision in 1925. The original street names for the Hegman Subdivison were Rowena Avenue and Theresa Avenue. Rowena Avenue may have been named for Rowena Hegman, the daughter 20

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of J.J. Hegman's brother Ben. while Theresa was J.J. and Elizabeth Hegman's daughter. Theresa Avenue was eventually changed to Avenue F to correspond to the street names in Hyde Park south of 45th Street; travellers going north on Avenue F must go half a block to the east on 47th Street to continue with Avenue F. Again, according to the city directory, Hegman lived on Avenue F in that subdivision in 1927 and lived at several different addresses in the subdivision until1948.

The actual Hegman house is not totally clear. According to the 1930 Census. the house was valued at $10,000. an expensive house for its era. That suggests that it is the two-story brick house at the current address of 108 E. 48th Street. However. in that era. the area was rural and north of the city limit. so records are questionable. City directories of the early 1930s list his address as 4805 Avenue F. on the other side of the street from the two­story brick house. but city building permits indicate that the house at 4805 Avenue F was not built until 1937. On the 1935 Sanborn map, the house at 108 E. 48th Street was shown as a two-story brick-veneered house.

Take the time to walk or ride your bike to see the house believed to be the Hegman house at 108 E. 48th Street.

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ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD The Caswell Area

The next two houses on the tour are in the Caswell area, which is roughly bounded by Duval, Red River, 45th, and 49th Streets. It includes Patterson Heights; the Staehely, Worley, and Theodora subdivisions; and the Ridgetop Annex,

The area is named after W.T. Caswell, a prominent cotton merchant and owner of the Austin Cotton Gin on Chicon Street, who platted the Ridgetop Annex in 1910. At the time, it was just outside the Austin city limits. The Texas Magazine, Vol. 5 (November, 1911 to April, 1912) described it this way: "There is no prettier place in Texas for a home, overlooking as it does the entire city to the South, the beautiful mountains and wooded hills to the west, the magnificent new suburban homes on all sides and the rolling prairies and substantial country homes in the distance to the north and east."

Between 1900 and 1960, the Caswell area developed from a small residential enclave to a suburban neighborhood typical of the early to middle Twentieth Century. The earliest development, in the area of 45th Street, used Classical Revival and Queen Anne detailing. As the Twentieth Century progressed, bungalows, generally modest in size, became prevalent. The small amounts of ornamentation they displayed were primarily American Arts and Crafts style. The heaviest development in the area took place during the 1940s through the 1960s. Pre-modern houses appeared prior to World War II, and Ranch style houses appeared after World War II. After 1960, the influence of the automobile became apparent in residences that featured front carports and substituted parking areas for front yards.

Besides the Morrison-Smith house, the Caswell area includes two other City of Austin Historic Landmarks:

John M. Patterson House, 604 E. 47th Street

Worley House, 802 E. 47th Street

Take the time to walk or ride your bike to see these Landmark homes.

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MORRISON~SMITH HOUSE 4615 Caswell Avenue

Like many houses in historic Hyde Park. the Morrison-Smith house was built during the early years of the neighborhood. housed several prominent families. declined as rental property, and was restored by loving owners.

W.T. Caswell platted the lot in 1910 as part of the Ridgetop Annex. After it passed through several hands. Mary Saul Walker purchased it and built the house in 1919.

Mary Saul Walker was born into the Saul family. wealthy land and cattle owners instrumental in settling the Brushy Creek area of Williamson County. Her grandparents. who are listed in the Williamson County Genealogical Society's List of Pioneers. were among the first settlers in that area. She was born in Austin to John Saul. son of the original settlers. and Melvina Louise Saul. Her father. a cattleman. was killed in an accident during a cattle roundup on the Double Mountain Range Land and her mother died of tuberculosis. leaving her orphaned at age 13. She and her two surviving siblings moved to Williamson County to be raised by uncles. In 1900. Mary Saul married John Walker. The Walkers spent the early part of their marriage in Williamson County before

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moving to Austin. In 1915 they divorced.

Mary's second husband, William John Morrison. emigrated from Wales. He worked as a traveling salesman for Butler Bros., Hurst Bros. Co., and L. Jonas & Co. The year 1920 was significant for him: he received both his Certificate of Naturalization and Masonic degrees in Austin Lodge No. 12. After his first marriage ended in divorce in 1917 or 1918, he married Mary Saul Walker in 1919 and by 1920 they were living in the Morrison-Smith House. Mary did not enjoy her new marriage or house for long: in August. 1920.

Albert & Amanda Smith and their Children

Mary Saul & William John Morrison

she died of chronic Bright's Disease in her automobile while parked in front of Joseph's Drug Store on Congress Avenue. William remarried in 1923 and remained in the house with his new wife until 1925.

W.B. and Josie Webb owned and occupied the house for about a year before selling it to Albert F. and Amanda Abrahamson Smith.

Albert Smith was born to William and Sofia Smith. the first Swedish pioneers in Kimbro. Travis County, Texas. After studying at Bethany College in Kansas and graduating from the business school at Southwestern University in Georgetown. he opened a store in Kimbro. He went on to spearhead the establishment of a post office in Kimbro and serve for eight years as postmaster. He also assisted in acquiring a new school for Kimbro. one of the largest and most modern in the countryside; served as musical director of the Kimbro Evangelical Free Church; and founded the Kimbro Orchestra.

Albert married Amanda Abramson. a Swedish immigrant. in 1905. They relocated to the Saul-Morrison-Smith House from Kimbro in 1926 and Albert became a farmer. They were both active in the First Evangelical Free Church. where Amanda played piano for 24

her Sunday School. Albert also served on the Executive Board of the Scandinavian Free Church Association of Texas. Albert died in 1958. but Amanda continued to occupy the Morrison-Smith House until her death in 1963.

The house passed through several owners until Sue Ellen Bass purchased it in 1984 to use as rental property.

Vernon R. and Pamela Pruitt Whittington discovered the house while searching for a central Austin home in 1997. Despite its decline. it retained its historic appearance: a Craftsman bungalow with a low-pitched, cross-gabled roof. eaves with wide overhangs and exposed rafter tails, recessed front porch with large square column. and wooden casement and sash windows. After their purchase and restoration of the house. it became a Historic Landmark property in 2009. It is a rare example of a brick Arts and Crafts house in Hyde Park north of 451h Street.

6EOR6E~CAMPBELL~INMAN

HOUSE 601 E. 49th Street

As you stand in front of 601 E 49th Street. take a moment to appreciate the many different home styles on this block. The current owners of the George-Campbell-Hinman House wanted to retain both this variety and the scale of their home in relation to the street. For that reason. they rejected the "scrapeoff' option. even though the structure measured just 850 square feet.

The house was built around 1942. based on the first listing in the Austin City Directory, when the owner was James L. Melton. By 1944. it was owned by Roy W. and Maudie George. who raised their two daughters. Olevia and Bettie. there. Roy owned the Roy George Texaco Service Station at 4227 Guadalupe. now Dane's Body Shop. He retired in 1980. After his death in 1984. Maudie occupied the house until her death in 1992. The house passed through several hands before the current owners purchased it.

When the current owners-one of whom is an architect-bought 26

the house in 1998, they faced two challenges: To bring in light and a sense of spaciousness and to retain privacy. For six years the couple lived in the original footprint. which ended where the fireplace is now. In 2004 they embarked on a renovation to bring the home to its current 1850 square feet. New windows-some in surprising places-now bring light into every part of the house, while modulated ceiling heights create both surprise and a sense of spaciousness. After passing through the vaulted front living area, the visitor passes under lower ceilings to the right and in the kitchen, which has a more intimate feel as a result. Then another vaulted ceiling over the dining area opens up the space and draws the visitor into the large screened porch, which in turn flows into the backyard.

The hearth dividing old and new space was added by the owners in order to give a feeling of home. Made of unfinished plaster. it harmonizes with the clean lines of the room's furniture and its eclectic accessories, many collected by one of the owners during a childhood spent in Africa. The floors. originally white oak, were replaced for the most part with red oak. The exception is the office to the right. which is floored in long-leaf pine, considered in the 1930s to be the equivalent of today's plywood.

The house contains no long hallways. Instead. access to bedrooms. baths. and the laundry and utility room are directly off the central rooms. Commercial-grade lighting throughout the house increases control over interior light throughout the day and evening.

Pictures near the master bedroom show family members on both sides as well as a family home in Kentucky. (Don't miss the two birth plates.) Many pieces in the house, including the curved chest and Craftsman chair in the bedroom and the rockers on the porch. come from this old Kentucky home; some were built over 100 years ago.

The design of the back yard carries through the sense of airiness and free circulation. Created by landscape architect Jackson Broussard. it features a half-circle trellis on one side; on the other. trellises planted in Carolina jasmine provide privacy for houses on both sides. Farther back is a spacious work shed with a striking red overhead track door. Even the shed's lighting has been carefully chosen and placed to create atmospheric illumination for evening parties. The driveway is planted with sedge and other low-water plants. setting off the long-leaf pine siding revealed when asbestos was torn off. 28

ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD Ramsey Place & Ramsey's Austin Nursery

The westernmost part of the northern Hyde Park area, from 45th to 47th Street, from Guadalupe to Avenue B. is today the Ramsey Place subdivision, but earlier in the history of Hyde Park, it was "Fruit Tree" Ramsey's Austin Nursery.

Frank Taylor Ramsey, born in Burnet County in 1861. joined his father's nursery business at age sixteen. In 1884, he married Annabelle Sinclair. Annabelle wanted their children to attend Austin schools, but Frank's business demanded a large tract of land. So, in 1894, they bought a lot on Avenue Bon 45th street and located their nursery business on the other side of 45th street. F.T. Ramsey's father died about the time of the move. In 1908, Frank's son John Murray joined his father's business. and eventually his grandson Murray joined as well.

Ramsey specialized in native plants. In 1929, Farm and Ranch stated, "To Frank Ramsey perhaps more than to any other one man must go the credit for the introduction of the greatest number of native plants to cultivation." By 1904. the nursey grew and sold a million fruit trees yearly, but as Austin became more urban and less rural, the nursey concentrated more on ornamental plants.

Besides nurturing plants, Ramsey nurtured horticulturalists. One of his employees. Joe Brown. went on to found Brown's Flower Shop in Hyde Park; Joe's brother founded the Skyland Flower Shop on North Loop.

Ramsey's horticultural contributions include the discovery or creation of several domestic fruit varieties, the development of several varieties of pecans. the breeding of a Ramsey hybrid shrub. the introduction of the Chinese jujube tree. and the contribution of articles to several horticultural magazines. He was also a poet. a fiddler, a Mason, and a member of the Austin Public School Board of Trustees. Ramsey died in 1932. Ramsey Park in Rosedale was named for him.

You can view the Ramsey house, still occupied by a member of the Ramsey family, at 45th and Ave B.

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HOMES TOUR COMMITTE:£ Chair Treasurer Photography

Booklet Editing, Layout. & Writing Booklet Cover Art Booklet Map Booklet Cover Props Fundraising & Advertising Volunteer Coordination Bicycles Website Design Website Content Website Assistance Banners Banner Display Distribution of Yard Signs Social Media Ticket Sales - Online Ticket Sales -Tour Day

Flower Arrangements

Carolyn Grimes I. Jay Aarons

Elizabeth Williams Andrew Hinman

Chad Crow Lorre Weidlich

Carolyn Grimes Lloyd Cates

Ann Graham Carolyn Grimes

John Williams Deaton Bednar Michael Crider

Cathy Yang Kate Van Winkle

Cecil Pennington Austin State Hospital

David Conner Kate Van Winkle

Michael Crider Denise Girard

Lisa Harris Texas Blooms

Home Owner Recognition & Tour Kick-Off Party House Selection

NeWoriDeli Joe Bedell

Research & Writing

House Captains

I. Jay Aarons Peter Maxson

Ellie Hanlon Debbie Wallenstein

Carolyn Grimes Pam Whittington

Arnie Vetscher Joan Burnham David Conner Katie Vignery Peter Maxson

Debbie Wallenstein & Travis Turner Cynthia & David Lyon

Ellie Hanlon Kevin Heyburn

I. Jay Aarons

A special Thank You to Adam Wilson & the Griffin School for providing the tour bus and the tour headquarters.

30

Proud Sponsor of the 2014

Hyde Park Homes Tour

Suzanne Pringle REALTOR

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Your Hyde Pa11k Real Estattt~fxpert

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S'othebys INTERNATIONAL REALTY

suzanne.pringle@sothebysrealty.

www.sothebysrealty.com